Steve Jobs’s Family Home Burglarized, Suspect in Custody

By Jim Tanous

Aug 14th, 2012 12:08 PM EDT

The home of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs was burglarized in mid-July, with thieves absconding with over $60,000 worth of “computers and personal items,” the San Jose Mercury News reported early Tuesday. Thankfully, a suspect in the burglary is now in custody and facing charges.

Authorities arrested Kariem McFarlin, 35, on August 2 in connection with the crime. He was arraigned five days later on one count of residential burglary and selling stolen property. Mr. McFarlin, if convicted, would face a maximum prison sentence of seven years eight months, which is a year longer than normal due to his “excessive taking of property,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Tom Flattery said.

Mr. Jobs’s desire for personal privacy has continued following his death, with the public unaware of the burglary until it appeared last weekend in a report log released to the media. Details on the crime have been withheld and the district attorney’s office is receiving, but not necessarily answering, media inquiries.

One item that Mr. Flattery did reveal is that Mr. McFarlin was likely unaware of the significance of the house he burglarized. “The best we can tell is it was totally random,” Mr. Flattery said about the incident.

The Jobs’ residence is currently undergoing extensive exterior renovations and is surrounded by a temporary construction barrier, a factor that may have made the property a more attractive target for Mr. McFarlin. It is unclear if the Jobs family is residing in the home during the construction.

Given Mr. Jobs’s iconic status in the tech industry, we only hope that all of the family’s possessions can be recovered and that nothing irreplaceable was lost.